Assess the USA soccer situation here

and YES.

 

Media attention has been pretty damn good for figure skating, but like the World Cup, people give a shit for a couple of weeks then go back to the major sports....or their lives.  Rugby, table tennis...OK...play on words.

But to say that soccer doesn't aspire to be a major sport in America?  That's interesting, considering for years soccer fans here say the rest of us just don't get it like the rest of the world does.

Soccer may have channels devoted to them, but compare the bottom lines of these channels and I don't think you'll see ESPN bucks.  And as long as the rampant illegal population soars, there's where your soccer fandom is.  And your hope. But it will be a bunch of Mexican cheerleaders, not for the red, white and blue.  

 

Actually, the Braves have owned WTBS airwaves AND ESPN.

 

Shit happens. It's the World Cup. Sometimes you make the quarterfinals and sometimes you lose to Ghana.

It was a tough draw folks. Despite all the boo-hooing we weren't even the most tragic collapse of the group. Czechs were.

Our play against Italy scored us a lot of respect overseas. We largely outplayed them. If it had not been for the reds and Arena's stubborn refusal to use our last sub, we might have come out on top.

I can't defend Arena's coaching or the heartless nature of the majority of the players, but think about it. We showed up as a messy lot having played three of the most pointless friendlies in recent memory and still got a point against Italy in the group of death. Czechs and Ghana got bombarded by the Italians. Remember that.

Look to the stands. Those were American voices out there and I could hear them in every game we played. That never happened at any previous World Cup. I think I was most impressed with those people. Sam's Army deserves a pat on the back.

Just from my perspective, I found a lot more people casually talking about the World Cup this time. I only pray their interest doesn't stop with the USA's exit.

 

They still lost. And Patton would say to hell with them.

 

I didn't know anything about Bruce Arena before reading a takeout on him last week, but is this low-energy, colorless, dumpy little man really the person U.S. soccer fans want fronting the American game?

 

I've happpened to have been overseas while two World Cups have happening. There is just no comparison between how Americans feel about soccer and how the rest of the world feels about soccer. None. Those commercials about people taking long lunches, bosses not caring about people being late for work because they're all watching the soccer are true. Not to get un-PC, but the only times I've seen stuff like that in the US are when immigrants have gone to bars early in the morning to watch matches.

To me, having lived overseas, IMHO the reason the rest of the world is so into soccer and we're not is basically that's the only sport they have. I read an article once while overseas by an overseas writer that basically said the rest of the world shouldn't laugh at how bad USA soccer is because imagine how good it would be if all of the US-born players in MLB, the NBA and the NFL only concentrated on playing soccer. Conversely, think how bad the rest of the world's soccer teams would be if they really cared about the big three and those sports picked off talented potential soccer players. And that's why, despite what all the soccer marketers in the US say, soccer will never catch on in the US. The US teams will always be bad and most people won't care because the US has other sports to care about while the rest of the world will always have better soccer teams than the US because that's the only sport they have to care about and they funnel all of their athletes into it.

 

Name me 5 players other than Ichiro on the Japan roster.
They also lost to Adam Stern-led Canada.

 

Firstime caller?
Is that the best you've got?
Maybe you should stick to whatever it is you know. American soccer has gotten progressively better in the past 16 years, from putting a college team on the field in 1990 to a team in 2006 that was loaded with players competing in top leagues. It will become even better in the next 16, because soccer is vastly more popular as a sport for young players now than it was two decades ago, because U.S. Soccer has a plan and some money, and because more great athletes eventually will see opportunity in this sport.

 

So many apologists and moral victory spinners.

It reminds of the great quote that was in either Fenian or Crass' tagline a long time back that went along the lines of losers whine and make excuses; winners go home and fuck the prom queen.

 

Not making excuses. Just being realistic.
Tough group, bad calls.
But indeed, it was disappointing.

 

See, this is exactly why I don't like soccerheads.

Twoback, even though I despise soccer, I was actually NOT trying to rip soccer in my post. I think if you'll read my posts, generally you'll see I do not try to rip people/things.

Having lived abroad though, I was trying to add perspective to the conversation here that people in the rest of the world just care about soccer way, way, way more than I've ever seen in the US. Even if what you're saying about the plan and money is right, the passion for soccer has a long, long, long way to go to catch up with how it is in the rest of the world. And it seems to me I heard about all of these inroads it was making 20 years ago with youth leagues and how those kids would grow up and lead the US to soccer glory. And it still has a long way to go. But, try to get some perspective here, even if soccer instantly became equal with the big three in the US - which I don't think even the biggest soccerhead thinks is going to happen anytime soon, realize that there's another side of the equation. It's not like the rest of the world is suddenly going to forget about soccer and get really into other sports.

Again, to be clear, not trying to rip soccer here, just trying to give some perspective: Having lived abroad, the reason the rest of the world cares about soccer more is because they don't really have other sports to care that much about. And it seems obvious to me at least, even with all of USA Soccer's plans and money, that that fact would affect the outcome on the field. But no, I can't speak to the specifics of soccer because I'm too busy covering major league baseball and college football.